FOOTBALL

CHUKWU MAY NOT GET TO COACH UGANDA
As the FA snubs him
***
If what appeared on the website of w.w.w.allafrica.com is anything to go by, then the dream of former Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu to pick up the reigns as the new man in charge of the Cranes [national football team] of Uganda is set to remain just a mirage according to word out of Kampala.
Although the Uganda Football Federation (FUFA) is in the market desperately searching for a new man to replace Laszio Csaba following his 'defection' last week to Scottish side Hearts, in formed sources have told THISDAYSports that it is highly unlikely that an African coach will be considered.


Mark Ssali, who writes for the Kampala-based Daily Monitor, told us on the phone from Kampala yesterday that although he would personally love to see the former Nigerian skipper take charge of the Cranes, he was sure that Ugandan football officials will go for another European.
"I would personally love Chukwu to be given a chance. I believe he has the experience having handled Nigeria and Kenya, but I know this will never happen. Not because he is a Nigerian but because he is an African, our people (FUFA) don't just believe in African coaches."
The Daily Monitor sports reporter even went as far as to predict the nationality of the handler FUFA would most likely settle on.
"I'm sure they will go for a German. For some funny reason they appear to like coaches from that part of Europe," said Ssali, who was in Abeokuta March last year when the Eagles laboured to a 1-0 victory over the Cranes in the race for Ghana 2008 tickets. It was Berti Vogts first competitive game in charge of Nigeria.
Ssali, who is still piqued by the equaliser disallowed in the Ogun State capital, said he was hopeful FUFA would quickly conclude the search so that the Cranes would have a coach in place before their next Angola/South Africa 2010 qualifier away to Niger on September 6th.
"We need to have the new coach in place in time so that he will have enough time to prepare for the Niger game. It has been a very long time we've taken part in the Nations Cup so we shouldn't allow anything to jeopardise our chances."
Although Chukwu, who is currently the technical adviser for Rangers, confessed that he was yet to formally throw his hat into the ring for the Cranes' job, he had made his desire very clear last week in some interviews he gave the media last week.
"Though they (FUFA) have not approached me I have been monitoring the situation there since last week.
I have a decent knowledge of the East African environment having once been in charge of the Harambee Stars of Kenya for two years before accepting to return home to coach the Super Eagles in 2002.
"The environment is always the right place any coach will like to work because the administrators respect the terms of contract. If the Ugandans approach me and the negotiations are fine I will definitely accept the challenge," Chukwu who once handled Lebanon said.
Giving further insight, Chukwu said that his total package while in charge of Kenya was better than what NFA offered him to handle the Eagles until the term was severed following Nigeria's failure to qualify for Germany 2006.
The former Super Eagles captain will be aiming to follow the step of Harrison Okagbue as the second Nigerian to be on the technical staff of FUFA. Okagbue handled the Cobs - the Ugandan U-23 side till 2000 while on attachment as a technical assistant with FUFA.
Although media reports indicated that applications for the Cranes job have already been received from 12 coaches of American, German, Brazilian, Moroccan, Belgian and Serbian nationalities, Ssali said no one had been short listed yet.